“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
The one thing about having the gas off for three weeks is that I spent more time at our little neighborhood coffee shop eating their squash bread that I love.
However as much as I love walking up to have a slice, the $3.50 cost made my wallet slim.
So my mind drifted back to that little voice in my head that says: "You could make it yourself."
I am more than well aware that part of eating out is the experience and I do love that they play soft jazz or sometimes classical which is my favorite at a coffee shop because then I can work without getting any songs stuck in my head.
Side bar on songs stuck in your head...I learned a little known fact the other day from a friend that if you learn the words to the end of the song stuck you can remove it from your brain. Psychologists have even given a name to the phenomenon it's called an Earworm.
Wierd, right? Something about our brain needing closure...made sense to me. So next time you have "Don't Stop Believing..." by Journey or "It's a Small World...by Disney look up the song lyrics and find out the end.
Okay back on topic, hope you don't have any earworms hanging out.😉
After deciding I could make my own squash bread and searching around a bit since I knew the basic recipe was from Macrina Bakery a fantastic bakery in Seattle. I decided to use their recipe as a base and make my own changes as per the usual. I decided upon pumpkin instead of squash as it seemed a simpler and I had some cans leftover from my pie making in the fall. I added some spices I love that they don't include such as Garam Masala which gives it a spicy taste rather than just a cinnamon flavor and of course changed the nuts around to how much I had on hand and Voila!
Pumpkin Nut Bread.
I know it isn't autumn but this made my house smell so good and helped me have a little closure to the gas leaking scenario I had been dealing with.
It also made me realize how much I had been paying for a slice of Squash Bread!
A load of cash!
Inspiration comes at a price though, so, Thanks Macarina for the inspiration and thanks Seattle Coffee Shops for keeping me warm.
Stay warm everyone spring is just around the corner.💐🌷💐
Ingredients
Dry
540 g or 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
325 g or 1 1/2 cups sugar
325 g or 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted walnuts chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecans chopped
Wet
1 can of pumpkin (15 1/4 oz can)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk (see tips if you don't have this on hand)
Instructions
Step 1
Toast your nuts and seeds in a cast-iron pan and add nutmeg and a pinch of salt for some extra flavor in the toasting. Watch the pan so as not to burn the nuts. Allow to cool!
Step 2
In a large bowl add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, garam masala and salt and mix with a whisk.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grind using a mortar and pestle or Coffee/food grinder half of the nut and seed combo but make sure the nuts and seeds are not hot or it will become mush.
Add the ground seeds and nuts to the flour mixing with the whisk and making sure to set aside the other half for topping the bread.
Step 3
With a stand mixer and paddle attachment place oil and sugars in the bowl and mix on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. Add the canned pumpkin and mix again for a couple minutes.
Add in one egg at a time until each is well blended with the pumpkin and sugars and oil.
Step 4
Next slowly add in flour alternating with buttermilk until all is combined. Do not over mix! Just mix until combined each time you add flour, then buttermilk, then flour etc.
Step 5
I used mini loaf pans and made four loaves at a time. You will need to oil the pan, you can use spray oil if you have it and if not use a paper towel and wipe with oil all over the pans. Fill pans 2/3 full! Do not fill to the top or they will not bake properly, I know from experience!
Top with Toasted Whole Nuts and Seeds before baking.
Step 6
Bake in your preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Before removing from oven check that the center comes out clean on a toothpick or wooden skewer. If not leave in longer. If it seems to be getting to brown tent (like a camping tent) with foil over the top and keep cooking until finished.
Allow to cool in pan about 15-20 minutes then remove and place on wire rack.
Step 7
You can allow to completely cool and then wrap in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for your next big brunch or just keep in the freezer to eat the next week!
Tips
No Buttermilk? Here is what to do: Mix 1 cup of milk and 1 TBSP of Lemon juice or White Vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes until begins to curdle. Strain with a sieve and you have buttermilk
Tenting the breads with foil is a great way to prevent too much browning
Garam Masala is an Indian Spice that you can blend yourself if you want it includes: cloves,cardamom,cumin,black peppercorn,coriander,cinnamon and nutmeg
Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are know to help with cardiovascular health!
Happy Baking and Eating!